


somebody to die for

by tyomawrites



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ice Nation/Azgeda centric, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Season/Series 01, Roan centric, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-05-02 11:56:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19198312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyomawrites/pseuds/tyomawrites
Summary: Roan is twenty five, when Hieri realizes that his feelings of friendship with the prince goes beyond that. More than friendship. They’re down in the hot springs again. It’s a miracle that none of them have figured out that this is where he and Roan come to hide. Most their time now is together is limited.But it’s neither of their faults. Roan is crown prince, as their nights grow longer and the days grow colder, Roan is occupied with duties piled on by his mother. Queen Nia is making more moves against Polis, and Heda. Hieri has his loyalty to his duties, as does he have a loyalty first and foremost to Queen Nia rather than his wayward affections for the crown prince.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> character, relationship and world building all in this first chapter.  
> Remember when they said that Roan had a long time love he was trying to get back to in Azgeda but decided to cut the storyline because it was too long.
> 
> Whelp, here it is.

Hieri first meets the crown prince when he is sixteen and while he lingers behind his father at a meeting. He tugs his winter coat further around his shoulders, enjoying the weight of it as Queen Nia spoke in hushed tones towards another one of her advisors. Hieri father was a War Chief for Queen Nia, he had been exposed to the royal family since he was born. Prince Roan was his senior by three years and they had trained in relatively same circles their entire childhoods.

It’s at that particular meeting that Prince Roan is in attendance, that Hieri finally speaks to him for the first time. Their parents distracted by the prospect of taking over Polis and moving into the capital of their commander’s lands. Prince Roan sidles over to him and nudges him with his ebow.

Hieri raises his head and glances at the crown prince.

Prince Roan flicks his eyes towards the doorway and signs with one hand, asking if he wants to leave. They sneak out of the meeting without so much as a second glance from their parents. Prince Roan takes his hand and pulls him away from the throne room, down the stone corridors and out into the cold snow. 

Fresh snow crunches underneath Hieri's boots as he follows the crown prince. Prince Roan leads him down a set of stairs that run along the perimeter of the royal palace, inside their nation’s capital, and towards the cave systems that run underneath the mountains their people live on. 

The cave systems are connected to heated springs, deep in the mountains, far away from the snow and chilling winds. Hieri rubs his hands together as Prince Roan tugs him further along the caves. There’s no doubt that their parents will eventually notice their disappearance but for the moment, Hieri is willing to face his father’s disappointment for the pure curiosity he feels towards Prince Roan. 

Prince Roan slows to a stop once they’re a decent way down the length of the cave. He turns and Heiri finally has a close up of the prince. Stunning blue eyes stare back at him, firm and then Prince Roan chuckles and holds out his hand.

“Bosh moba, I dragged you away without warning.” Prince Roan says lowly but with a smile on his face. 

Hieri takes his hand firmly.

“Ai hainofa.” He bows forward slightly before he shakes Prince Roan’s hand. “It was no hardship.” Hieri thinks back to the inattention from both their parents before he shakes his head with a smile. “I wasn’t learning much anyway.” 

Prince Roan laughs along with him and turns to head further down the cave. Hieri follows him with only the smallest hint of hesitance, tugging his coat closed and keeping a hand hovered over his sword, in case they ran into any creatures or unsavory characters. 

“My mother insisted this morning that I attended the meeting. But she’s been discussing the same plan with no changes for the past week alone.” Prince Roan complains from ahead of him. As they walk, Hieri takes in the crown prince’s appearance. He has twin swords strapped to his back. His armour is practical rather than garish. His gloves are thick as is the fur coat draped over his shoulders. The crown prince’s hair falls just over his shoulders. 

“My father was the same.” Hieri answers when the prince turns around to look at him, expecting an answer. “I asked if I could perhaps train instead. He immediately gave me a talking to about responsibility.” 

“You are Onto’s boy, Hieri is it?” Prince Roan tilts his head curiously. Hieri nods and strides forward so that they’re standing next to each other instead of lingering behind the crown prince. “Call me Roan.” Prince Roan offers as they wander further into the caves.

It’s getting warmer as they do so. Roan slips out of his heavy fur coat as they arrive at one of the hot springs. The water steams as it reaches the cooler air. Roan lays his coat out neatly and begins to methodically strip out of his clothes, looking eager to jump into the warm water. The warmth is welcome in the constant cold of their nation. 

Roan gestures towards him to do the same. Hieri sheds his gloves, clothes, fur and boots in the space between the hot springs edge and where he’s standing. He practically dives into the water, submerging himself fully in its warmth before he finally resurfaces and flicks his hair from his face.

“Do you run away from meetings often then?” Hieiri teases as he floats himself back towards the edge of the hotsprings. He props his elbows up on the warm rock and leans back against it, watching as Roan splashes the warm water over himself. 

“If it’s to warm up in some of these springs, then yes.” Roan smiles wide at him. 

Hieri tucks the information away in his head for a rainy day and relaxes in the warm water, tilting his head back. Water splashes his face. Hieri sputters and snaps his eyes open to see Roan playfully wading his hands in the water looking like he’s about to do it again. 

Hieri splashes back before he does, sending a small wave of water over the dark haired boy, drenching the prince’s shoulder length hair. Roan looks affronted for a split second before he lunges forward in the water and sends another splash towards Hieir’s face.

Their splashing war leads to a wrestling match in the water, until Roan dunks his head underneath the water’s surface and the side of his cheek is scraped against the pool’s rocky edge. Black slowly begins to bleed into the water and Roan backs away from him, concern written on his face. Hieri backs up to the edge of the pool and cups his cheek, smearing his blood across his face.

“Yu laik a Natblida.” Roan breathes, staring at him before he fumbles to scramble out of the hot springs.

Hieri feels his stomach plummet. His father had warned him not to injure himself in front of the others. He had been kept from Heda’s scouts for years, his mother had died protecting his secret, and now he had spilled it to the prince of Azgeda.

Hieri scrambles after him, scraping his knees and the base of his palm further on the rocky edge of the pool. “Beja!” He half shouts as Roan begins to gather his things, patting himself dry with his shirt before tugging it on. “Don’t tell anyone!” 

Roan pauses between dragging on his chest plate, his eyes flicking between the entrance to the hot springs and Hieri.

“Yu laik a Natblida.” Roan repeats again, this time however, softer. 

“You can’t tell anyone. Beja ai hainofa.” Hieri’s voice cracks unintentionally and he clutches his bleeding palms close to his side, smearing more black across his sides in the process. Roan tilts his head like he’s mulling it over, glancing at the smeared blood on Hieri’s sides before he sets down his heavy fur coat and nods.

“Fine I won’t tell anyone.” Roan says firmly. “But you’ll have to explain to me how Heda’s scouts have not found out about you.” 

Hieri reluctantly nods. Roan strides back over to him and takes his hands, peering at the scrapes on his palms. Roan mutters something in trigedasleng that sounds like a chastise before he’s being pulled over to the edge of the pool and manhandled so that the prince can treat his wounds.

Hieri’s heart pounds in his chest.

 

* * *

 

After that encounter, Hieri found Prince Roan lingering around him more often than not. A week after the encounter, Prince Roan had summoned to his chamber asking about how his heritage was hidden for so long. After a heated argument with the prince when Hieri had to bring up his mother, Hieri left in a huff and the prince didn’t summon him after that. 

Three weeks found Roan and Hieri more eager to attend meetings under the guise of lessons with their parents. Three weeks turned into three months, Hieri found himself adopted into the small ranks of Roan’s private circles. Three months passed and suddenly it had been a year.

Roan kept his secret all the while.

 

* * *

 

Hieri is twenty one when his father dies. The cold takes his already wounded and weakening father after a visit to the Northern villages goes wrong. Hieri sits loyally at his father's side through it all, stoking the fire and feeding his father hot broth or strips of dried meat soaked in soup, pretending that his cheeks aren’t damp.

Hieri mourns for as long as he’s allowed. A new scar is carved into the flesh of his cheek. It signifies his new status. At twenty one he becomes a War Chief, to fill boots far larger than his own.

Prince Roan and Queen Nia greet him with their condolences when he attends the next meeting. His scarring is fresh and healing. Each time he talks it tugs at the healing wound. Roan, from his position next to his mother sends him looks of concern and signs at him from behind his mother’s back.

_ Are you alright? _   Roan stares at him, until Queen Nia turns around and Hieri is free to sign back.

_ Fine. _ At Roan’s raised eyebrow, he amends his statement and signs quickly before dropping his hands back to the map.  _ Not so fine. _

The end of the meeting comes with both his and Roan’s dismissal from the throne room. They leave separately, Hieri first, while Roan trails behind him. Once they’re out of the view of the guards, Roan grips onto his bicep and spins him around to cup his cheek and trail the new scar with his thumb.

“Wormana.” Roan whispers fervently. They duck into a corner to hide from passing palace workers. “Your father passed.”

Hieri nods, squeezing his eyes closed as Roan thumbs the length of his cheek and jaw. 

“Ai laik fiya.” Roan says gently. “That I was not there for your period of mourning.”

“You are our prince.” Hieri waves his hand. “It is not your duty to help mourn the dead.” 

Roan gives one last lingering swipe of his thumb over his cheek, before he pulls away. “Is it not a prince’s duty to look after his people?” Roan smiles at him, it’s then Hieri can see his youth, the sweetness in the corners of his eyes as he smiles. 

“It is.” Hieri relents. Roan steps back and turns his head, gesturing to the corridor. 

“Come, let me honour your father properly.” Roan offers. Roan takes one of Hieri’s hands. Hieri leads him to where he’s scattered his father's ashes.

 

* * *

 

Roan is twenty five, when Hieri realizes that his feelings of friendship with the prince goes beyond that. More than friendship. They’re down in the hot springs again. It’s a miracle that none of them have figured out that this is where he and Roan come to hide. Most their time now is together is limited.

But it’s neither of their faults. Roan is crown prince, as their nights grow longer and the days grow colder, Roan is occupied with duties piled on by his mother. Queen Nia is making more moves against Polis, and Heda. Hieri has his loyalty to his duties, as does he have a loyalty first and foremost to Queen Nia rather than his wayward affections for the crown prince.

Besides, Hieri knows what would happen if anyone took offense to his friendship and affections for Roan. The girl in their dungeons is young. Heda’s lover, according to Queen Nia. She is to be questioned for information about Heda. Hieri’s orders linger in his mind. If she doesn’t betray Heda, Cago is instructed to take her head. That could be him, if Queen Nia takes offense.

Water splashes into his face, shaking him from his thoughts. When Hieri opens his eyes, Roan is standing directly in front of him, up to his chest in the water of the hot springs. Hieri sighs, mostly to himself but Roan gives him a concerned look.

“You’re distracted.” Roan points out.

“I have every reason to be.” Hieri huffs in response, dipping himself further into the warm water. Roan advances on him, until their knees knock together underwater. 

Roan’s hands find his shoulders. Roan presses his fingers firmly into the knots there and Hieri lets out a soft groan, sinking into the water before he straightens and catches himself. 

“You’re tense.” Roan comments with a smug smirk on his face. “We come here to relax Hieri, not stress more.” Which is surprisingly easy for Roan to say. Hieri rolls his eyes but shoots Roan a smile nonetheless.

“Roan, ai laik trana.” Roan inches closer to him and touches his forearm gently. Roan rubs his hand up to his shoulder, warming the goosebumps on his flesh from the winter winds blowing down from the cave entrance. 

“Ai get in.” Roan says gently. Hieri slumps further into the water and ducks his face under before resurfacing and smoothing his hair out of his face. When he lifts his gaze, Roan is directly in front of him, barely an inch from his face. Water drips down the scar on Roan’s cheek, the one marking that he’s a prince, the  _ crown prince _ . 

Roan’s hand came to rest on his shoulders, rubbing them and the raised scars he has. Hieri inhales sharply, searching Roan’s bright blue eyes. He lifts a hand to thumb at the Roan’s jaw. Roan’s eyes speak even when he does not. Wordlessly, Roan steps closer in the water. Their chests brush together. Hieri leans in close.

The kiss starts soft. Roan captures his lips, keeping it chaste as his hands slowly run down Hieri’s shoulders and skate down to his elbows and then his waist. Hieri flattens his palm against the short hairs of Roan’s beard and drinks in the taste of Roan’s mouth. 

Roan tastes like pomegranate wine. Pomegranate wine and berries and sweets that they’ve been snacking on down in the hot springs. Roan’s hands trace idly across his back, over the raised bumps of his scars. Roan’s stubble brushes against his chin. 

Hieri gasps when Roan bites his bottom lip and tugs. They kiss for what feels like hours, barely breaking apart to breathe. Hieri tugs Roan closer, by his cheek then by his waist, skirting his hands down to hold onto Roan’s hips. Roan pulls away and smirks at him, but it softens when he thumbs over Hieri’s bottom lip. 

“Roan…” Hieri is speechless, Roan thumbs over his bottom lip and cheeks. 

Roan smiles at him. It’s intoxicating, Hieri returns Roan’s smile with his own. Roan presses the line of his body against Hieri’s front and kisses him again, catching him off guard in a way the first kiss didn’t.

Roan pulls away again after a moment, pulling Hieri’s bottom lip gently between his teeth before he grins with his teeth showing. Roan wades away from him in the hot springs, leaving them both hard in their boxers in the water. 

Hieri stares at Roan’s back tracing over his scars, speechless, before he raises a hand to touch the small indents of Roan’s teeth in his bottom lip.

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly, their first time together is not down in the hot springs. Prince Roan summons him to his rooms in the middle of the night, via a servant in the dark of night. The servant, before she leaves is thoroughly threatened to keep her mouth shut by Roan once Hieri is at his door. 

Eventually, after they stop staring wordlessly at each other in the doorway, Roan moves to the side of the doorway and lets him in. Roan’s room is nothing like he’s expected, then again, most of his meetings with Roan have been in the hot springs or in various alcoves or corridors in the palace, never their own homes. Bone carvings and decorations cover the ceiling, the doors and the mantle piece. There’s a large one hanging over Roan’s bed in the shape of Azgeda’s crown.

The crown Roan will one day be wearing.

Roan practically kicks the door shut behind him, meeting his eyes wordlessly before he steps forward. Hieri raises a hand to pause him, staring at Roan’s lack of layers. Roan stills but thumbs at the hem of his shirt.

“If your mother takes offense to this…” Hieri begins. There is always a lingering fear that Queen Nia will find out. Will find out about their kiss. Their meetings in the hot springs, everything.

“She won’t find out.” Roan interrupts him. Roan lifts his eyes to meet his, they’re eager, bright, the blue in them only complimented by the dark hair framing his face and the grey of his threadbare shirt. “Ai swear em.” 

“Alright.” Hieri lowers his hands and Roan pounces. Roan strips Hieri’s shirt from him methodically, dropping it onto his carpet and leaving there as his hands skate to the waistband of his pants, fumbling with the button and zipper before dragging them down Hieri’s legs. 

“Roan.” Hieri mutters, in an attempt to slow Roan down. Roan just growls in response and shoves him back towards the bed, eager as he skates his hands down to grope at Hieri’s arse, thighs and hips. Roan manhandles him onto his front and leans down to taste him, his stubble grazing his cheeks and the insides of his thighs. Hieri crumples forward on the mattress, thrusting back as Roan pins his hips and has his way.

Lost in the feeling of Roan’s pointed tongue and the rasp of Roan’s stubble, Hieri doesn’t realize Roan is flipping him over until he lands on his back, eyes dazed as Roan stares down at him with hooded eyes. 

“You’re so responsive.” Roan comments, praises, before he ducks down to explore Hieri’s chest. Roan is still fully clothed, chasing his hands across the expanse of Hieri’s paler skin. Roan pinches and tugs at his nipples, slides his hands over the scars that curve over his pectorals that signify Hieri’s coming of age.

“Who did your scars?” The question comes suddenly, as Roan shoves a hard thigh between Hieri’s legs for him to grind against. Roan pinches his nipple when he takes a moment too long to respond.

“My mother!” Hieri yelps. Seemingly satisfied, Roan returns to grunting as he fumbles with a vial from God knows where, slicking his fingers to immediately go to prepping Hieri.

The first breach of two fingers has him arching against Roan’s thigh pressed to his crotch. The stimulation has him pushing up into Roan’s other hand on his chest. It squeezes his pectoral and Roan roughly thumbs over his nipple to tease him while his fingers crook inside of Hieri.

“Roan!” Hieri falters and sinks back into the mattress writhing Roan pulls back and frees his fingers, only to strip out of his shirt and unbutton his own pants, shoving them down his thighs. Hieri gets tugged closer to Roan on the mattress. Three oil slicked fingers are pushed into him, the stretch and burn catch him off guard.

Roan openly shushes any whimpers of discomfort that come from his mouth, soothing them away with slightly chapped lips at his temple. Roan’s fingers are replaced with his cock all too soon. Hieri bodily arches off of the bed, hands scrambling for purchase at Roan’s shoulders, digging his nails into his skin. Roan fucks into him with an eagerness that Hieri does not expect. Roan’s teeth find the shell of his ear, the spot underneath his jaw, his neck and throat. 

Roan leaves bite marks and sucks bruises onto his pale skin, so high up his throat that even his collar and scarf would not fully cover them. As the coil in Hieri’s stomach tightens, aching for release, too fast and too soon, Roan’s grunts become more strained. Roan’s hand tightens its grip on his hip, helping to practically impale Hieri on his cock. 

Hieri comes over his fist, circled around his cock, twisting at the head. He clenches down on Roan’s cock, still thrusting into him, feeling Roan’s hips stutter against him. The side of Roan’s face presses into his cheek. A hint of teeth from Roan’s parted mouth grazes his cheekbone, close to his eye, before Roan is kissing him. Roan takes his chin in his hand and captures his lips in a bruising kiss as his stuttering hips finally still, pressed flushed to Hieri’s ass as Roan spills inside him.

Hieri pants once Roan pulls away. The crown prince rolls off of him, pulling out and laying unashamed across the mattress. Roan’s eyes are hooded as he stares at the ceiling. Hieri tries to catch his breath, running his hand down the slight jut of his hip bones and to the light hairs on the pale expanse of his thighs. 

Cogs try to turn in Hieri’s brain as he stares at the pale ceiling above him, taking in deep breaths. This is the moment he’s supposed to be removing himself from Prince Roan’s bed, lest his mother of all people barged in and found them like this. He hesitates, as he feels Roan’s arm flex next to his, Roan’s pinky finger slowly moving to hook onto his. Before he can make a decision, Roan rolls over, effectively pinning him to the bed under the weight of Roan’s chest.

Roan presses slightly chapped lips to the faint gingery blond stubble he has along the line of his jaw. “Stay.” Roan murmurs in a raspy voice against his cheek. Hieri’s chest rises, falls, and rises against once more as he keeps his silence.

Roan shuffles further along the bed, moving more of his weight onto Hieri’s chest, hooking his pinky tighter onto Hieri’s. “Stay.” This time Roan repeats it and it sounds like a command. 

Hieri always obeys his commands. “Ai hainofa.” He tries once to be cautious, to be decent. Roan covers his lips with his own and shushes him.

 

* * *

 

Hieri only realizes that their dalliances have turned into something more when Roan casually drops a question about his birthstone into the conversation. Hieri’s birthstone is a garnet, but he doesn’t tell Roan that. Instead he mumbled an excuse about work he’s forgotten and slipped out of Roan’s bed, scrambling out of Roan’s room with his clothes barely fastened properly.

Now, as he sits on his own bed, facing the living room where he was raised with both his mother and father—who are both dead and it reminds him painfully that he  _ is _ alone in this world—and thinks about how he could have missed that the crown fucking prince has been courting him, for  _ months. _

First hint, the food Roan had been bringing him. Berries and rock candies down in the hot springs, something sweet. Cheese and slices of meat when Hieri was burning the midnight oil over treaties between the villages in the north. Sweet desserts in Roan’s bed after they’d had each other.

His second hint would’ve been the furs. All the furs Roan had gifted him. The winter was growing colder, the days were shorter, the sunlight sparse. Roan had been gifting him wolf pelts, shaggy, warm and made perfectly for him to use in the snow. Fur pelts were a customary second courting gift, and Hieri hadn’t even noticed. 

He should have noticed that the third was the new scar. Carved into the side of Roan’s hip. A mark of intent, that shouldn’t have been there in the first place but Hieri never gave it a second thought. 

The idea that Prince Roan, because that is who Roan is, a  _ prince _ , is courting him has his heart racing in his chest. He trembles, dropping his face into his hands. Queen Nia is going to kill him. Roan is already at the third stage of courting, intending to move to the fourth—asking about Hieri’s birthstone like that. A small noise of fear escapes his throat.

Food. Warmth. Strength. Commitment.  The fourth stage requires declaring public intent. He would have noticed sooner, but Queen Nia had set him in charge of placing the girl from the dungeon’s severed head in a sealed box to send to Heda in Polis. Queen Nia had barked at him in trigedasleng and told him not to fuck it up. Hieri is going to lose his fucking head. He’s terrified, pacing across the living room floor of his cold and empty house when a chilling thought crosses his mind.

Roan could lose his.

 

* * *

 

Roan corners him eventually. Hieri will admit he’s spent the last week attempting to avoid and distance himself from Roan out of fear that his mother was about to reign praimfaya down from above. Roan’s blue eyes are firm, wet but firm, the arm pressed across his chest is firmer. It’s now that Hieri finally notices the height difference between the both of them, as Roan stares up at him.

“If you were going to reject me.” Roan says lowly. His voice sounds ragged. “You should have done so before.” The words  _ it got too far _ , go unspoken but they both know it. Then Roan pulls away from him and makes to turn away. Hieri stumbles forward, too caught up in reaching forward to grab Roan’s arm to pay attention to the steps in front of him.

Roan catches him as his stumbles, prevents him from falling face first onto the stone floor, although Hieri didn’t expect him too. Once Hieri is standing on both his feet again, Roan turns to leave. Hieri catches his arm and stops him.

“Roan I didn’t know.” Hieri blurts out. Roan’s whole body stills, before his eyes narrow in confusion.

“What do you mean you didn’t know?” Roan asks incredulously, and loudly.

“I  _ didn’t know _ .” Hieri stresses, still clutching onto Roan’s bicep. “Roan I didn’t realize. The food, pelts, the mark of intent.” Hieri shrugs uselessly. “I just didn’t notice. Ai laik fiya.” He lowers his gaze and drops Roan’s arm from his grip.

He hears Roan inhale sharply. Roan’s hand finds his cheek and tilts his head back up. Roan’s blue eyes are hopeful when Hieri meets them. “So you’re not rejecting me then.” Roan sounds hopeful. Hieri pauses. Fear must be evident on his face because Roan’s brow furrows in concern.

“Your mother would never approve of us.” It has to be the wrong thing to say, because Roan just raises his face in obvious defiance and his free hand finds Hieri’s at his side.

“She can try and stop me.” He announces firmly into the empty corridor they’re standing in. Hieri flinches. Roan immediately thumbs at his bottom lip in an attempt to soothe him. 

 

* * *

 

Roan does indeed go public with a declaration of intent. He does it right in front of their Ambassadors and the other War Chiefs. He declares his intent to finish the fourth stage of courting Hieri right in front of his fucking mother while Hieri stands to the side of the throne room. The throne room goes silent in anticipation for Queen Nia’s response. Roan has moved from his seat next to his mother, standing at the steps in front of her throne. It places Roan directly between Queen Nia’s line of sight of Hieri and Hieri fills with  _ worry _ .

“What is the meaning of this?” Queen Nia’s voice is controlled, but Roan must know his mother, because his hand shifts to his sword at his hip even if his mother sounds calm. 

“It is what it is mother. I’ve declared my intent to complete the fourth stage of courting with our wormana. Hieri kom Azgeda, nomfa kom Onto.” Roan tilts his head upwards. It makes him look taller than he actually is, standing in the centre of the throne room. 

Queen Nia’s eyes find Hieri from the throne. She glares at him as she opens her mouth to speak. “And what does  _ he  _ have to say about this.” This is it, he’s going to die at the age of twenty three because he had to catch feelings for the crown prince. Hieri nudges his way towards Roan and stops when he’s next to Roan’s side.

“I accept Prince Roan’s declaration of intent.” Despite his insides twisting, Hieri’s voice comes out steady and sure. Roan hooks a pinky around his, and then takes his hand in front of everyone in the throne room. His response seems to surprise Queen Nia, as she looks taken aback by his declaration.

“Then it is accepted.” An ambassador to their left says. It’s Ambassador Delphia, Hieri’s known her since he was a boy. “It is a legitimate claim for courtship. Hieri kom Azgeda is of strong blood and lineage.” 

“The Crown Prince is expected to have an heir.” Ambassador Uzrek comments, although his voice isn’t as loud as the other war chiefs and ambassadors begin to chatter. The throne room is silenced effectively when Queen Nia raises her hand.

“Well then.” Queen Nia mutters begrudgingly. “I suppose I will have to accept this courtship.” Roan doesn’t relax at his side, tension still evident in his shoulders. Hieri squeezes his hand.

“Thank you, ai haiplana.” Roan bows his head. Hieri follows suit, repeating his thanks before Roan escorts the both of them over to where Hieri was sitting before the Azgeda delegation was called to a summit. Queen Nia nods, and returns back to their earlier points about Polis and their move.

Hieri thinks of the young girl whose head he sealed inside a box and he squeezes Roan’s hand tighter in his. 

  
  


 

* * *

 

Eventually Roan and Hieri are sent to Polis on official business under direction from Queen Nia. It was going to happen eventually. Their accommodation is Polis is under the Commander’s begrudging security. The guards eye the both of them wearily. They stand out in Polis. Scars instead of tattoos. Heavy furs and lined leather instead of thick and stiff fabric jackets.

Their pale skin sets them apart from the members of Trikru, Trishanakru or Sangedakru that walk the streets of Polis. From the vendors and their buyers. Despite all of it he and Roan have a ball in Polis, suspicions aside.

Titus, the Flamekeeper meets them with, while wary, a kind smile the morning after they’d settled into their shared guest room. Hieri has his hand firmly grasped in Roan’s while they’re coming out of the elevator. 

“Hainofa Roan, Wormana Hieri, we were not expecting Queen Nia to send her son and his consort to meet with us.” 

Roan chuckles sheepishly and darts his eyes over to Hieri. “Not consort, not yet.” He corrects Titus while rubbing a thumb over the back of Hieri’s hand. “But soon. And my mother believes that what is good for Azgeda is good for me. So, I am here, and Hieri with me.” 

“We welcome you to Polis. Heda will meet with you soon.” 

 

* * *

 

“Your beard would be ginger.” Roan comments while their in bed. Hieri sighs and rubs his hand against the offending stubble on his cheek. Hieri himself has reddish blonde hair, but it’s light like his mother, but his father and his grandfather were kissed by blazing fire and it shows in his facial hair when he forgets to shave. Roan chuckles at his small sigh of displeasure and leans in to kiss both his cheek and the offending ginger stubble. 

“I think it makes you look distinguished.” Roan claims fondly before he rolls over in bed and captures Hieri’s lips properly in a kiss. They had celebrated Roan’s twenty eighth birthday the night before. Roan still tastes of pomegranate wine. Hieri moans and licks into his mouth playfully, still tasting the sweetness of the drink.

“I think it makes me look stupid.” Hieri mutters against Roan’s lips when he pulls away. “If I had my father’s hair, maybe, but I am more.” He kisses Roan again. “Like. My. Mother.” He says between kisses trailed down Roan’s throat. His mother is no longer a sore topic to discuss with Roan now that they had been together for two years.

Roan laughs and Hieri can feel it against his lips from Roan’s throat, before they’re being flipped over. Roan’s hands grip his waist as he shuffles around on top of Roan’s hips. “But you are still kissed by fire.” Roan laughs and pulls Hieri down to kiss him.

They crawl out of bed satiated but aware of their surroundings. They have a meeting to attend, regarding Heda’s Coalition and Azgeda’s part in it. Roan lifts Hieri’s fur coat from the hook on the wall and hands it over to him, helping him fasten it once he wraps it around his shoulders. They linger more than they should in Roan’s room before a guard again knocks on the door to ask for their urgency towards the matter.

Eventually they sweep into the throne room. Ontari, as young as she is, is standing to Queen Nia’s left.  Roan and Hieri take their places to Queen’s Nia’s right, disregarding the glare from Roan’s mother and a select few ambassadors.

The delegation from Polis isn’t in the room yet, held back probably by their lateness. Queen Nia waves her hand and guard leaves the doors to bring them in. Heda sweeps into the room with a billow of red behind her. 

Lexa kom Trikru. Hieri’s heard about her wisdom and strength. Her face does not soften as she glares at Queen Nia. Hieri pictures the small girl who cowered in their dungeon, the severed head that he’d sealed away into a box and he suddenly feels sick. Heda greets Queen Nia halfheartedly and with an edge to the tone of her voice. Hieri squeezes Roan’s hand as Lexa takes her seat in the throne room.

Halfway through their negotiations, Anya, Heda’s second, frowns and flicks her hair out of her face as she interrupts Queen Nia. “There are conditions to joining the Coalition.” 

Queen Nia pauses in her sentence and tilts her head to the side curiously. Roan, finally through all the negotiations perks his head up in interest. 

“Alright.” Queen Nia says slowly. “What would they be?”

“First we’ll have to establish a trading treaty. Furs, stronger wood from some of the trees in the North, exotic animals.” Heda begins. “Secondly you would answer with your armies if we call upon them should we face further threat from the mountain men.” So far, none of the terms are too complex, none of them are too much. Queen Nia nods, waves her hand for Lexa to continue.

“And lastly you  _ will  _ banish the crown prince of Azgeda to prove your commitment to this coalition.” 

Hieri’s heart drops from his chest. Roan’s hand leaves his as Roan pushes himself out of his chair with a start. Queen Nia’s hand stops him, raised in front of her son’s chest. 

“He will have a week to honour the banishment.” Heda adds when Hieri opens his mouth to protest. Roan turns to glance at him, wide eyed.  _ Scared.  _ Hieri’s brain supplies unhelpfully. Roan’s grip on his hand tightens and Hieri grips his painfully tight in return. The room, the delegations, war chiefs and ambassadors are shocked into silence. None of them say anything more as Heda turns with a wave of red behind her and pushes out of the throne room with her second following. 

“Roan.” Hieri half-croaks. Roan’s back straightens by an inch when his mother turns to him. 

“One week.” Queen Nia repeats firmly to the both of them. “Or you will bring us a war we cannot yet win.” 

Roan nods. Hieri can feel his hand trembling in Roan’s. Roan pulls him from his seat, dragging him across the throne room and out through the doors left open by Heda and her second.

 

* * *

 

That night in Roan’s room Hieri sits on the edge of Roan’s bed. Roan is kneeling between his knees, both hands clasped tightly into Hieri’s own. Roan’s face is pressed to the inside of his thigh. Tears dampening the fabric of his pants. He doesn’t know what to say to Roan, stubbornly blinking his own tears back as Roan’s sobs are the only noise in the room. 

“I’ll go with you.” Hieri eventually says with a hint of stubbornness, once Roan has stood and wiped the tears from his cheeks. 

Roan protests with a glare and a sharp no falling from his mouth from across the room “You can’t. You are our Wormana.” 

“There are others!” Hieri starts loudly. He drops his voice lower and tugs Roan closer to him to mutter fevrently. “There are others, there will always be other wormana.” He takes Roan’s hand in his and swipes his thumb over the back of Roan’s hands. “But there is only one you Roan. 

“My mother would never let you.” Roan says blankly. “She has been against us from the start. She’s been looking for an excuse to tear this relationship apart and you know it.”

“So you’re just going to let her banish you and keep us apart?” Hieri frowns. He squeezes one of Roan’s hands and drags the both of them back onto the bed, depositing Roan firmly into his lap. Roan startles but doesn’t move off of him. “She could banish me.” He says to Roan’s face as it’s an inch away. “She could put a kill order on me, she could behead me herself or have Ontari do it for some made up reason.” 

Roan’s face crumples with each scenario listed. Hieri sighs and takes Roan’s face into his hands. “But none of that scares me more than not having you.” At that Roan softens and his cheeks flush pink under Hieri’s hands.

“You don’t mean any of that.” Roan tries to reply nonchalantly, but a small smile is already tugging at the corner of his lips as he blushes.

“I mean every part of it.” Hieri replies earnestly. “And I will mean it even if I have to face your mother and explain that I’m going with you.” Hieri thumbs over the scars curved onto Roan’s cheeks, a habit he vows to never break out of because it makes Roan smile.

Roan cradles him in an embrace so warm and full of love that Hieri’s chest feels like it’s about to burst. Roan presses his lips to hips temple, and then the scar over his cheek before Roan’s soft lips find his and they’re tumbling backwards onto their blankets and furs.

“I love you.” Roan admits against his lips. Roan’s chest vibrates as he says it. It’s not the first time Roan has said it, but Hieri can feel the words and their sincerity right down to his bones. He skates his hands down the length of Roan’s clothed back and slings his leg over Roan’s hip to press him as close as possible.

“I won’t let you go.” Roan adds as Hieri reaches over to put out the few candles on the table next to their bed. It plunges them into darkness for a few moments, before the moon starts to stream into the room and it illuminates the lines of Roan’s face.

Hieri stares up at him, not for the first time, struck by awe and wonder as Roan smiles down at him. Roan leans down and kisses him, hard enough that by the end of it Hieri almost forgets his own name. 


	2. Chapter 2

 

They are incredibly lucky that Hieri’s family has a hunting cabin just outside of Azgeda’s borders. They’re out of Queen Nia’s lands, their lands, safe, unharmed aside from feeling a bit chilled by the snow storm that’s left a thick layer of white over anything and everything. Roan is bored, despite their access to hunting wolves that Hieri has reared since he was a child. Despite the amount of weapons they brought with them, supplies to make more arrows so they could hunt. Despite being safe. 

Roan is bored.

He is a crown prince. Hieri is reminded when they crawl into the smaller than they’re used to bed in front of the fire. The beds are set up like bunks, the largest being the one they’re occupying now. Roan shifts and grumbles and turns over back and forth before he complains face first into the pillow about not having enough space.

That’s the one refreshing thing about being outside Azgeda. Their complaints go unpunished. They’re allowed to bitch and moan about the cold without being judged for being weak. Hieri huddles closer to the wall to let Roan spread out on the mattress, finally smiling when Roan throws a leg around his hip and an arm over his shoulder. 

“Thank you for coming with me.” Roan runs a thumb down the side of his face before kissing the tip of his nose gently. Hieri smiles as the fire crackles next to them.

“I’d never leave you.” Hieri whispers sincerely. Roan’s blue eyes gently flutter shut. They’re both tired. Having walked for hours through the thick snow to leave Azgeda before night had fallen. The only light now comes from the fire and the moon coming through the small hatch windows.

“Good night hod in.” Roan murmurs and places a tired kiss onto the tip of Hieri’s nose. Hieri runs a hand over Roan’s shoulder and traces the lines of ROan’s face with his eyes. Roan is beautiful while he sleeps, beautiful when he wakes. The pride and jow of Azgeda. Hieri softens as the corner of Roan’s nose twitches before he settles again and hugs Roan close to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

The first year of Roan’s banishment and Hieri’s self exile creep slowly and speeds up all at once. The first few months move at a snails pace, then before they know it it’s been three quarters of a year. And then the last few months throw them back into Winter and blizzards and snow. The hunting wolves roam the perimeter of the cabin while Hieri stokes the fire. 

Roan takes up bounty hunting while they’re out there, claiming the few sources Hieri still has from Azgeda. This particular week, Roan’s been gone for six days already, almost a week. Hieri is sick with worry, like he always is. Roan had taken a hunting wolf with him and smeared face paint of his scars before he’d left his hair loose and left. 

It’s weird being in the hunting cabin alone when Roan’s goes off hunting bounties. He’s used to having Roan there when he turns around. Used to turning over in the morning and seeing Roan’s hair spread around his head like a halo. That seventh night alone he stokes the fire and huddles up in furs next to the fireplace, sitting on the couch in the room.

Some of the hunting wolves have come inside to join him at his feet in front of the fire. The winds howl outside, as another storm front roles in. It’s been like that for weeks, and his worry for Roan only grows when he thinks about how much snow the storm would leave behind. One of the wolves noses at his foot and makes a low rumble in his throat. Hieri gets up and wanders over to their makeshift fridge, hauling two sizeable slabs of meat from yesterday to feed to the wolves. The last wolf not with Roan is still roaming outside in the storm, probably hunkering down in a cave away from the hut, the winds are too rough, howling louder and louder through the trees. He hauls the two slabs of meat over his shoulder from the fridge, ears tracking the sound of the whining wolves when the porch of the hunting cabin creaks.

It could be anything. From bears in the forest, it could be a bobcat, another wolf. Roan is days, a week at most from returning from his bounty. The door stays closed. Hieri drops the meat for the wolves at his feet, lets them eat while he reaches for his axe on his belt and his sword laying near the sofa when the door starts to creak open. There’s no time to chastise his irresponsibility in leaving the door unlocked. Hieri raises his axe defensively, the wolves growl behind him.

Roan bursts in with his snow white wolf following hot on his heels. The wind starts to billow in through the doorway. The wolf trots over towards the meat slabs he dropped while Roan turns to slam the door shut, still having not spot Hieri with his axe raised.

“Roan?” Hieri finally manages to voice his concern, his heart in his throat. “Jok, you scared the absolute crap out of me.” Hieri lowers his axe and sword and leaves them on the table next to the sofa, bounding forward to take Roan into his arms. 

Roan lets out a pained noise when Hieri crashes into him but hugs back nonetheless, burying his face into Hieri’s growing stubble and kissing his cheek. “I’ve missed you.” Roan rasps before he pulls away to kiss Hieri properly.

“Hmm, missed you too.” Hieri says once they pull apart and he examines Roan’s frame. “Are you hurt?”

Roan nods, shrugging out of his heavy winter coat. Now that he’s not shocked, Hieri can see that Roan’s face paint is heavily smudged, hiding a black eye that is an ugly shade of purple and blue. Roan is heavily favouring his left side and looks dead on his feet.

“What happened?” Hieri asks as he follows Roan around the cabin as he peels out of his clothes. “Did the bounty escape?”

“Took his head.” Roan growls. “Delivered it back to the buyers and earned an arrow for my troubles.” Roan peels back the bandages across his right side to reveal the ugly arrow wound, seeping pus. “I couldn’t stay, ended up falling into a swamp in further south. It got infected.”

“So you ran through a storm to get back here!” Hieri chastised. 

“Knew you’d fix me up.” Roan retorted before he slumped into the chair at their table. Hieri knelt next to it, with clean strips of cloth in his hand and a pre-mixed poultice for infection by his knee. 

“You’re lucky I love you.” Hieri jokes as he kisses above the wound, before he sets to cleaning away the pus.

“I am.” Roan says softly as one of his hands leaves the hem of his shirt to find one of Hieri’s. “I’m lucky to have you.” Rolling his eyes with a blush on his cheek, Hieri squeezes Roan’s hand and goes back to cleaning the wound as the wolves continue to eat their meal, dragging the meat in front of the fire. The wind continues to howl outside the cabin, making the walls and windows rattle. 

 

* * *

 

The hunting cabin does not stay safe for much longer. Two months after the bounty gone wrong. A flaming arrow bursts through the southern hatch window and lights up the fur rug on the floor. The wolves howl and bark as he and Roan scramble out of bed and grab as much as they can carry of dried meat, other foods and their weapons, barely having enough time to escape the burning building with what they can carry on their backs, the wolves by their sides.

In the distance they see Southern Village banners. Idealists and cultists. They run for hours, as hard as they can before they stumble down a ditch when their legs give out, the wolves, like them, exhausted and starving. Hieri finds out later that Roan’s buyers were from the Southern Village and the only reason they couldn’t track Roan sooner was because of the storm he escaped in. 

Hieri builds them a temporary shelter overnight. The wolves, displeased by the lack of space, curl up next to their bodies to help with the cold regardless. They flee further North carrying what little they have. It takes them another week before they have to start rationing food. For them to spend both morning and afternoon running and the evening before sundown hunting for meals to satiate both their hunger and the wolves’.

Hieri hates it.

Roan takes up another bounty in the thick of it, disappearing for a week to come back bloody and bruised but with a pouch of coin and a set of six pheasants slung over his shoulder and a stag on his back that has Hieri both gasping in relief and concern. 

They’re good for another month. They hide out in the cave Hieri found barely accessible through a half frozen waterfall. It gets cold but the waterfall masks any smoke from a fire and the wolves don’t hate it so they stay there for as long as they can risk. It’s nice for a time. When summer rolls around and green starts to sprout through frost and snow, Hieri feels like a domestic house husband to Roan, preparing meals for him to come back to, feeding the wolves and looking after them. Pampering Roan on days he doesn’t have to leave.

He loves a part of it. Domesticity.

 

* * *

 

The illusion shatters after a month. Riders come in the night. They aren’t Azgeda, rather they’re not part of any of the twelve clans at all. A wolf dies in the brawl, Hieri mourns while he’s still bloodsoaked, while the rest of the hunting wolves howl in grief at their fallen sibling. They take a bit of urging to have them leave the body of their pack behind but they do so once Roan and Hieri are threatened even further by their attackers, growling and snapping at the bounty hunters mounts. 

They run and they don’t stop. Even when their wounds start to cause them to falter and stumble through snow covered foliage. They don’t stop until the wolves force them to, sitting down and refusing to move. 

Roan stitches all his wounds shut tightly. Hieri returns the favour and cauterizes one of the wounds across Roan’s thigh while bodily pinning Roan down to stop him from jerking away and getting stabbed. 

They’re exhausted, wounded. The wolves are ravenous and temperamental. Soon enough they’re going to have to stand their ground and take a fight they may not win.

Hieri clings to Roan that night despite his knuckles aching, his fingers curled into Roan’s furs like if he lets go Roan will disappear. He squashes down his fear deep into the pit of his stomach as he presses his nose into the nape of Roan’s neck and breathes in. 

He waits for the whinnying of horses, for the sound of hoofbeats in the night. All he hears is the sound of soft wings of insects and the hooting of an odd snow owl through the night. He doesn’t sleep, can’t physically make himself sleep, but when Roan wakes up safe with no new injuries, he doesn’t care. 

 

* * *

 

Four Years Later

 

“Hieri, how do you think we’re going to make it down this mountain?” Roan mutters lowly, stoking the fire in the cave they've hidden in. They’ve lost their food down the side of their cliff, not their weapons, but it was a three week supply of food that Hieri had painstakingly dried out for this particular bounty. It wasn't his fault. Or Roan’s, that a bounty hunter decided to take a job on them rather than the bounty that they were chasing. 

His markings gave him away as Ouskejon Kru, but Hieri had barely any time to interrogate him before Roan kicked him off the same cliff they lost their food on. Roan took a knife to the side, a nasty cut that had to be cauterized. It wasn’t until after Hieri had bandaged Roan that he realized they were about to be snowed in by an oncoming blizzard. 

“Look I didn't think there was a blizzard coming Roan.” Hieri snaps back, they’ve been snapping back and forth at each other for the last four hours, the both of them sheltering in the cave from the storm roaring outside. “I’ll move down the mountain to check some of my traps once I'm sure you're not going to die.” 

Hieri frowns, turning back towards the fire and dropping onto the cave floor, sitting cross-legged, rubbing his hands together over the fire. It’s one of his caves, up in the mountains ever since they’d been chased around by more bounty hunters. It was safer to have multiple safe houses rather than one space for them to stay. The cold from the wind bites at his skin and he’s worried about Roan, who’s refused to put his shirt back on lest he gets blood on it. 

“How’s that.” Hieri nods towards the bandage around Roan’s abdomen.

“I’m fine.” Roan looks away, eyes darting across the cave. “Let me go with you.” His prince is staring up at him from where he’s laid out on the cave floor. 

“I’m serious Roan, you need to rest, this bounty will have your banishment lifted. You need to be at your very best.” Hieri’s frown deepens before shuffling over to kneel next to Roan. “Rest, beja Roan.” Roan’s hand finds his as Hieri reaches out to touch the top of Roan’s thigh.

“I’m not an invalid. I can help you hunt.” Roan protests, his hair falling over his face. The soft squeeze he gives Hieri’s hand however let’s him know that he understands. Hieri sighs and leans down to kiss Roan’s forehead as gently as he can manage. 

“It’s dangerous out there. You are still to me, Prince Roan kom Azgeda, and it’s my responsibility to make sure you don’t die out in a blizzard because of a knife wound to the side.” Hieri crosses his arms firmly over his chest. “My responsibility.” Hieri hesitates before pushes himself up to stand, eyes flitting over towards the entrance of the cave. “Alright I’m going down there.” 

“Hieri.” Roan speaks up from where he’s laid on the floor

“I’ll be fine Roan. I don’t just stay out here to help you get what you need. I live out here anyway.” Roan huffs, displeased, eyes dropping away from Hieri. 

Hieri pauses and goes back over to Roan, kneeling back down next to him and smoothing a hand over his face gently. He rubs his thumb over the scars on Roan's face gently. "I won't be too long, I'll check one or two traps. Then I'll come straight back." 

“Nou wan op.” Roan calls after him. “Beja.” Roan tacks on, eyes still averted as Hieri leaves.

“I won’t.” Hieri smiles back, taking two steps out of the cave and disappearing from the cave entrance. Roan sits back, a hand on his side against the cave wall, taking in the warmth of the fire. Hieri is good to him, sneaking around outside of his mother’s eye to help him.

Hieri stumbles down the mountain against the blowing winds, eyes trained towards the ground, watching where he stepped. It wasn’t that he wanted to get them stuck on the mountain. Hieri huffs as the wind blows his hood off his head. He fumbles to pull it back on, scrubbing at the snowflakes that blew into his stubble.

One of his traps lies further down the mountain, closer to a waterfall. Hopefully, he can get there before whatever he’s caught gets eaten by something else. It was a mistake to come out so far from his usual hiding grounds skirting outside of Azgeda’s territory, but he needed somewhere to hide Roan so that he could help him heal, and then they could go back to hunting Wanheda.

Rounding around a large set of boulders, Hieri grunts as the wind whips across his face, flipping his hood off his head again. He frowns , before crouching and ducking his head down. “I hate the wind.” He grumbles to himself, dropping down towards the trap. The waterfall beneath him is mostly frozen, still with water flowing beneath the surface layer of ice. The blizzard makes what he’s about to do all the more precarious, as he eyes the ice beneath his feet. 

Hieri steps warily across the ice of the frozen lake, eyes spotting the trap in the snow covered undergrowth on the other side. “There you are.” He mutters lowly, sliding his way across the ice. The ice groans and cracks beneath him, spider-webbing under his foot. “Alright slowly.” He says to himself, pushing himself across the ice.

The ice continued to spiderweb beneath him as he slides slowly across the ice. “Come on.” He shuffles further across the ice. “I just gotta, get to you.” Something moves inside the trap and Hieri smiles wide. “Yes, dinner!” Hieri cheers, before speeding up and dragging himself further across.

His voice echoes across the landscape, barely louder than the howling winds round him. The ice cracks further. A chunk of it breaks away under Hieri’s feet. “Oh no.” He scrambles forward onto his knees, trying to redistribute his weight, shuffling across the ice faster. “No not now!” The ice cracks away beneath him as he moves, scrambling towards dry land. The ice breaks and Hieri plunges into the icy water. He gasps, taking in a mouthful of water, eyes squeezing shut. The water rushes over his head, the weight of his wet clothes dragging him down.

His hands scramble at the ice edge desperately, pulling himself back over the surface. His clothes are wet and heavy, as he drags himself onto the ice through the hole he fell through. “Jok!” He swears, pulling himself out across the ice. The trap was only a few feet away now on land. He shivers, as the wind blows across his face.

There’s a rabbit in the trap. A big fucking rabbit. Hieri sighs in relief. “Food.” He stumbles through the bushes and the snow down towards the trap, dripping cold water as he fumbles with the trap. “Hey bunny.” He coos down towards the rabbit, water dripping across his eyes. It looks up at him with large eyes, like it was pleading with him to be let go.

“Oh no. I need you to feed Roan. I bet he’s hungry.” He frowns down at the bunny, wagging a finger at it. “Can’t let you go sorry.” He pulls his knife from its sheath on his belt, wagging it back and forth. His hand darts into the cage, jamming the knife into the rabbit’s neck.

The rabbit will be enough for one or two meals very small meals. Hieri digs it out of the trap, slinging it over his shoulder by its hind legs. The rabbit is warm on his shoulder. He glances back up towards the mountain. “Great. Gotta get back, up, the mountain.” Hieri sighs. He’ll have to take the long way up, around the waterfall back to his safe path.

The trek out of the mountain leaves him winded and gasping against the cold, whipping winds. The tips of his fingers are scratched by the cold rocks rocks and boulders he climbed. The cold settles into his bones while his movings, clothes still wet, restricting his movements some. The warm blood from the rabbit has drips a trail down his back, and the back of his leg. “You better not have died on me Roan.” He mutters to himself, huffing.

By the time he’s pulled himself back into the cave, he’s cold and shivering, his wet clothes sticking to his skin painfully, ice already freezing onto his eyebrows, hood and hair. He drops the rabbit in front of the fire, jolting Roan awake.

“Are you seriously sleeping through that storm outside Roan?” Hieri asks in surprise, staring down at Roan. The wind and snow is getting worse, some of it blowing into the cave. Roan shakes his head blearily and rubs at his eyes, staring up at Hieri tiredly. Hieri frowns, shivering while dropping to his knees to start gutting and skinning the rabbit. “We have rabbit for dinner.”

“You’re wet.” Roan points out. Hieri gives a tired chuckle, teeth shaking, sliding his knife skilfully into the rabbit. The floor beneath him is dark and damp from the water that weighed down his layers.

“Yes I’m wet.” He keeps his eyes on the rabbit, dragging the knife across its belly. “Thank you for pointing that out.” Hieri clicks his tongue against teeth before starting to pull its entrails out of its body. He’ll have to throw them down the side of the mountain to avoid any wolves or god forbid, bears came to the cave.

“Why are you wet?” Roan sits up, eyes trained on the water dripping down onto the cave floor.

“Don’t worry about it.” Hieri pushes the rabbit and its entrails aside, abandoning the knife to shuffle closer to the fire on his knees. “I’ll deal with dinner soon. Just let me warm up first.” He pulls off his blood covered gloves rubbing his bare hands together in front of the fire. He starts to shrug out of his multiple coats, shedding layers until he’s just down to a wet shirt and wet pants and his boots in front of the fire, teeth chattering.

Roan pushes himself up into a sitting position, eyes dropping the the blue tinge in Hieri’s lips, fingers and the tips of his nose. “What happened?” He groans as he pushes himself onto his knees, moving over towards Hieri. “Why are you wet Hieri?” Roan’s voice has worry, curiosity in it as he comes closer.

“Fell through the ice on the waterfall.” Hieri pauses, swiping at the snowflakes in his hair. “Don’t worry.”

“What?” Roan scrambles forward worriedly, only to stop and clutch at his side with another soft noise that makes Hieri’s head snaps up to look at him.

“Chil au.” Hieri snaps towards him, eyes narrowed. Hieri shuffles over to meet him, placing a hand over the bandages. “Hod op Roan! You strain yourself again, I’ll hit you right where you got stabbed.” Hieri frowns when Roan’s head snaps back up to glare at him “Fiya, fiya. I’m just stressed.” He raises a hand in a gesture of surrender and then plants it gently on Roan’s back.

“You’re shaking.” Hieri takes a deep breath when Roan points out the shaking in his fingers against his warm chest. Hieri clenches his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering next to Roan’s ear. “You’re shaking and the damn cold is sticking to your skin Hieri.” Roan reaches out towards him, gripping his shoulder. “How long did you go under?” He asks softly.

“It was only for a second Roan.” Hieri mutters, ignoring Roan’s eyes searching his face. He shuffles over to lean Roan back down against the cave wall despite his protests. Roan’s palms still press onto the thin fabric of his threadbare shirt. “Beja Roan.” He leans back on his haunches, closing his eyes for a moment.

He takes a deep breath, fingers shaking against his thighs. Roan moves, wrapping one of their blankets over his shaking frame, Roan tucks himself under it, next to his side. “You need to rest.” Roan says as he firmly plants his arm across Hieri’s back. “You’re freezing.”

Hieri protests as Roan steers them both towards the furthest cave wall, Roan pulls him into his side, dragging the other two blankets they had across their bodies. “Roan I’m fine I have to cook the rabbit.” He pushes against Roan’s arm half-heartedly before curling into the blanket Roan draped over him.

“You can barely push me off you, shaking so bad like that.” Roan taps the sides of his face. Roan is right, his fingers are shaking more noticeably as he’s warming up next to Roan.. “You need to rest. Just rest with me. You’ve done enough for me today.” Roan smile sat him when he relents into his hold. Hieri leans in and pecks his cheek, pressing his own forehead against Roan’s cheekbone.

“It’s my job to help mema in.” Hieri shoves Roan’s good shoulder weakly. “Always. It’s why I’m here.” He’s been around for Roan long before he was banished. Hieri remembered the day it happened. Prince Roan kom Azgeda, banished by his own mother as a political piece.

“You know how grateful I am for you?” Roan laughs fondly and nudges against his side. “You live out here with me, the harsh winter scaring off any wildlife to eat. Ferry me from place to place hiding me from my mother, how much you love me?” Hieri lets out a small chuckle with a shiver, pulling himself closer into the blankets encasing both him and Roan. Roan pulls him close, wraps an arm around him. “When we capture Wanheda and bring her back to Polis. I’m going to reward you for doing so much. You can have a place by my side. If you wish it.” Roan whispers against his ear. “When I’m king.”

“I’ll always be by your side Roan, you know this.” Hieri frowned. “But we don’t even know where Wanheda is.” They’ve been out here for a month now,  away from their usual hunting grounds and safe houses, searching for Wanheda because Lexa had promised to lift Roan’s banishment, which meant that the both of them could finally stop sneaking from hideout to hideout. Of course Roan forgot to take into account that other bounty hunters existed. Hieri’s eyes dart down to the bandage around Roan’s abdomen with a small sigh.

“Even then if you know where she is, if you find her. If I go with you to Polis, there is the chance that your mother will not be pleased that Heda is the one who will lift your banishment.” Hieri murmurs into Roan’s hair, pressing his lips against Roan’s temple.

Roan laughs, less restrained this time tightening his arm around him and further pulling him against his side. “Why shouldn’t she be relieved that I’ve taken the initiative to have my banishment lifted.” Roan protests. “And my mother will be happy to have her crown prince back. My brothers must be driving her crazy.” Roan presses his forehead against his temple. Roan’s lips graze his cheek. 

 Hieri nudges his nose into Roan’s cheek. “Once your king, we will finally have an Ice Nation Commander.” They’re a step away from being married, so close to where they want to be, but with Wanheda and Roan’s banishment in the way. Hieri brushes one hand over Roan’s bare chest, before shuffling in closer to share his body heat.

“We could be married, finally. Complete our courting. The title of Heda would be yours, we could rule together” Roan promises as he grazes a finger over the back of Hieri’s hand, before entangling their fingers together

“Yu laik a hainofa, even if your banishment is lifted. Your mother would never consider it, she wants Ontari as Heda. I will be killed if you even suggest that to her.” Roan frowns and pulls him closer. They lay back on the cave wall, blankets wrapped around them.

“You’re still shaking Hieri.” Roan changes the subject, wrapping one arm around Heiri’s chest. He still was shaking against Roan’s hold even with the fire and the blankets wrapped around them. “You still have your wet clothes on.” Roan turns and fumbles with the threadbare fabric of his shirt, pulling at his clothes. “Take those off.”

“Alright.” Hieri laughs and nudges him away, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it towards the other side of the cave. “I still need to prepare dinner you know.” He reminds Roan with a small smile.

“Jok dinner.” Roan says with a small smirk playing on his lips. “I can think of better options to occupy our time.” Roan’s eyes glint and Hieri flushes. “Let me warm you up.” Roan murmurs lowly into his ear, a hint of a smile pressed against Hieri’s skin. Roan kisses the spot underneath his ear, teeth nipping playfully on Hieri's skin. Roan smooths a hand down his bare back

“Beja, Roan.” He chuckles against Roan’s ear, pulling himself over to hover over Roan. Roan smiles up at him and slings his arms around Hieri’s waist. Roan hums lowly and leans up to kiss him.

"Do you remember our first time?" Roan teases with a slight wince while he moves. Hieri lets out a small bit of barked laughter and wriggles out of his wet pants, pressing his body flush against Roan's, avoiding pressure on his wound.

"What, you mean when you threw me onto your own bed and had your way with me." Hieri rolls his hips languidly, shifting so that he's straddling Roan. Roan’s hard against his hip, pressing against the inside Hieri’s thigh. He pushes his hips against Roan’s, grinning when Roan lets out a breathy whine.

“I missed this.” Hieri gasps, leaning down to kiss Roan while rolling his hips. Roan grips his hips, thrusting up as much as he can even with the injury. “You’re always away for too long Roan.” Hieri mumbles against Roan’s lips. Roan moans underneath him when he slips a hand into his boxers. 

“Not my fault.” Roan gasps when Hieri wraps his fingers around him, tugging experimentally. “We need those bounties hod in.” Roan’s hands wander, across his hips and his stomach, scratching over the scars that litter his body. Roan slips his fingers under the waistband of his boxers to grip onto him, making him gasp.

They fall into sloppy kisses, nipping at each others lips and throats. Hieri sucks a mark onto Roan’s throat, smiling when he whines. Roan ruts up against him desperately, it’s been so long since they’ve done this together. Hieri shuffles back, his knees scraping on the cold stone before he leans down to mouth around the bandage on Roan’s abdomen. 

Roan’s fingers thread into his hair, tugging on it. Hieri chuckles against Roan’s hips, pulling down his underwear with a grin. Roan moves one of his hands from Hieri’s hair to thumb at his chin and bottom lip, before Hieri moves to bite at the jut of his hip bone. 

“You’re still a tease.” Roan yanks at his hair. Hieri rolls his eyes and leans in to lick a stripe across the length of his cock, laughing when Roan whines and pulls on the hair twisted in his fingers. “Get on with it!” Roan pulls firmly on his hair again and Hieri leans in to take the head of his cock into his mouth.

Hieri lets out a small moan and starts to bob his head, Roan’s hands guiding him in his hair. Roan throws his head back, moans falling from his lips and echoing across the cave. Roan thrusts his hips upwards, smirking up at the choked gasps that Hieri makes. Hieri bobs his head in time with the thrusts, planting his palms firmly onto Roan’s hips when the head of Roan’s cock nudges at the back of his throat.

He pulls his mouth off of Roan’s cock with a pop, drool slicking his lips and the length of Roan’s shaft. “Hmm but you like me.” Roan pants up at him, still circling his hips like it will motivate him to go back to sucking.

“I love you, there’s a difference.” Roan thrusts slightly upwards, and Hieri slips out of the blanket with a finger raised, scrambling over to his pack. 

“Oil.” Roan breathes with a smile on his face when Hieri pulls out the vial. Hieri practically launches him back into the warmth of their nest, uncorking the vile and slicking two of his fingers with ease. 

Roan makes to move, hand circling Hieri’s wrist. “Let me.” He offers, bringing his hand down towards his own thighs and the swell of his ass.

“No.” Hieri looks smug when Roan makes a cute, confused noise. “Let me ride you Roan.” He leans in to kiss Roan again, smirking at the astonished look on his face. 

“Are you sure?” Roan pauses and hesitates, caressing Hieri’s hip with his free hand. It’s been awhile since he’d been fucked by Roan, being banished and on the run does that. He smiles and brings his own fingers around to the cleft of his ass, slicking himself there. 

“Always, I haven’t had you in me in so long.” He says breathily when he breaches himself with a finger. “Beja, Roan.” His voice is strained while he works his finger in and out of himself.

“I missed this.” Roan growls, his voice low and scratchy. “You’re a beautiful sight.” Roan runs a hand down his chest, tweaks at his nipple playfully and laughs when a squeak falls from Hieri’s lips.

“You should get us trapped in caves more often.” Hieri reaches out playfully with his free hand to tap on the tip of Roan’s nose, noisily working himself open above him. Roan groans, one hand darting up to grip at Hieri’s wrist, pulling his free hand to his mouth, the other reaching out to squeeze the swell of Hieri’s ass.

“Then get on with it.” He punctuates the words with another thrust of his hips. Hieri chuckles, a long breathy whine entwined with the noise as he finally works his fingers out and reaches to slick up Roan’s cock. He shuffles forward, gasping when he guides Roan’s cock against the cleft of his ass.

Roan’s hips jerk upwards, catching on the rim of his hole. Roan moans and drops both his hands to Hieri’s hips, steadying him as Hieri sinks down onto him. Roan’s calloused fingers press into the juncture where his thighs meet his hips, thumbing over scars and faint dustings of hair. Roan rolls his hips with soft grunts and moans, thrusting into Hieri with a steady rhythm.

Roan fucking him is like burning pleasure into all of his nerve endings. Hieri gasps and whines, head dropping forward to mouth at Roan’s jaw and cheek. He nips at Roan’s lips and tilts his hips, changing the angle of Roan’s thrust to brush against that spot inside him. 

“Ro-an.” Hieri’s voice wavers as he flexes his thighs and rides him. One of Roan’s hands darts up to cup at his cheek, thumb brushing over his cheekbone. Hieri takes in the sight of Roan, dark-hooded eyes, mouth slightly parted, his hair a mess over his face. It makes heat coil in the pit of his stomach.

Roan grunts, pulling Hieri from his admiration. Then Roan shifts, a hand dropping to the cave floor to push him upright, knocking Hieri off balance before Roan seats Hieri firmly in his lap. Roan runs both his hands up Hieri’s sides, then down his back to squeeze and fondle Hieri’s ass, fingers petting at his rim, stretched around his cock.

“Hnn, I’ve missed this.” Roan murmurs against Hieri’s ear. “You being so warm, so tight.” Roan grunts with another thrust, punctuating his words. “Wanheda be damned, I’d rather stay in this cave and fuck you.” He nips at Hieri’s earlobe, smiling when Hieri squeaks, and then moans as he presses a finger into him alongside his cock.

“You say-ah, that like you’d rather not-” Hieri gasps, interrupting his retort, rolling his hips down to meet Roan’s thrust. “Ah. Fuck on the throne after we get back.” It drags a small chuckle out of Roan, amidst the grunts and moans. 

“Hmm.” Roan hums, his chest vibrating against Hieri’s. “Would you suck my cock while I sit on the throne?” He murmurs into Hieri’s ear, using his free hand to tangle into hieri’s hair and push it aside. Hieri mouths at his neck in response, nipping at the spot underneath his jaw, teeth dragging over his pulse point. 

“I’d do more than suck you while you sit at that throne.” They’ve talked about it a lot, long before Roan was banished, an inane fantasy to fuck on the throne once Roan was king. “King Roan kom Azgeda,” Hieri teases lowly against Roan’s pulse point feeling the slight jump in Roan’s hips at the words, thighs flexing as he begins to slow his movements to a teasing pace. “If I remembered correctly.” Her moves to mouth at the other side of Roan’s throat. “I promised to ride you, while you sat on that throne fully clothed, only your cock and lips allowed to touch me, hands bound to your sides.” 

Roan practically whines beneath him at his words and slow pace. “You’re a menace Hieri.’ Roan grumbles affectionately, his dark eyes shining, before swiftly lurching himself forward and putting Hieri onto his back.

“Roan.” Hieri drops a free hand to the bandage around his abdomen. “Your wound.” He holds onto him, smoothing his thumb over the bandage. “Careful-”

“Shh.” Roan dips down to press his lips against Hieri’s desperately. He ruts into Hieri, setting a fast pace of thrusting. He sinks his teeth into Hieri’s bottom lip and tugs, a smirk gracing his face when Hieri arches underneath him. He drinks in Hieri’s moans hungrily, as Hieri’s hands scratch across his body, dragging long, red lines down his back and sides. 

“Ai gaf Yu, always gaf Yu.” Roan presses down against him, frame curling over Hieri, bracketing him against the cave floor.

“Ai hod yu in.” Hieri gasps against Roan’s lips, dragging his fingers through Roan’s hair, arching up against him. “Roan, Roan, Roan.” Hieri pants against him, holding onto him.

“Let me hear you Hieri.” Roan rasps, scrambling his fingers across Hieri’s skin. Hieri smiles, yanking Roan flush against him, pulling Roan into a deeper kiss.

“Mmph.” Hieri muffles Roan’s words against his lips. Hieri grabs a fistful of Roan’s long hair, twists his fingers into it and whimpers when Roan tilts both their hips. He tugs on it, yanking Roan’s head to look at him through half hooded eyes. 

“Roan please.” Hieri pleads while Roan fucks into him. He’s verging on the edge of sensitive, the coil in his stomach twisting painfully tight.Roan ducks his head down and crashes his lips against Hieri’s muffling a deep moan as his hips still. Heiri instinctively thrusts upwards and writhes against Roan, spilling over his own stomach. 

Roan’s teeth are pleasantly sharp as he ducks his head down to bite into Hieri’s shoulder to muffle his own grunt. Hieri pants, whistling through his teeth as he has his arms wrapped around Roan. Roan lets out a happy sound, low and rumbling through his chest against him, before he rolls off of Hieri to lay on his back, panting up at the ceiling of the cave.

“If you’ve strained your stitches.’ Hieri’s eyes flutter as he turns to look over at Roan. Roan is smiling lazily back at him, an arm outstretched to lay on Hieri’s chest. 

“You worry too much.” Roan peels off the edge of the bandage to show him the wound, still red and angry but it isn’t bleeding anymore, stitched shut. “You did a good job, a bit of fucking won’t undo it.” Roan’s smile and good mood is infectious and Hieri grumbles a little before scooting closer to Roan, dragging one of the blankets with him.

The storm is still blowing harshly outside, and as Hieri wraps the blanket around the both of them, Roan kisses his cheek affectionately.

“We leave as soon as the storm is over.” He nuzzles into Hieri’s throat. 

“Hmm.” Hieri hums in response, threading his fingers through Roan’s hair. “Just rest now.” He offers, turning onto his side to throw an arm over Roan’s chest. “Storm will last a few more hours.” His eyes close for a moment as he inhales against Roan’s shoulder. “We can sleep,” It’s getting close to night soon, they’d usually move better under the cover of darkness, but blizzards in the dark aren’t too safe.

Roan relents and leans against him, softly skimming his hands over Hieri’s naked stomach. “Hmm you’re right hod in.” Roan settles back down and Hieri closes his eyes to lay his head on Roan’s shoulder.

“Rest well Roan.” Hieri mumbles. 

Next to the fire, wrapped in the blankets and sharing their body heat, the both of them drift off to the sounds of howling winds outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Roan sends him to Polis ahead of time while he goes the rest of the way tracking Wanheda’s path. He leaves their cave after the blizzard with instructions to have the rest of the War Chiefs to fall in line. A hard task with Queen Nia scrutinizing and watching his every move. She doesn’t dispute his decisions, he has enough standing that she can’t without a valid reason, but she does her best to make his job as hard as possible.

Lexa grants him a room far away from the other Azgeda party members with a fond smile. While she wasn’t fond of Roan, Hieri had visited Tondc and Polis enough times that he wasn’t really hated by Lexa. Maybe it was because they bonded over the stupidity of adults—even though he was three years Roan’s junior and a good seven years her senior—or the fact that she finds his company somehow endearing. Hieri seems to have that affect of people in positions of power (if he doesn’t count Queen Nia, although it might have something to do with the fact he’s sleeping with her eldest son).

The people of Polis aren’t really fond of Azgeda either. Hieri knows why. Being ruled by a family who seems to have a habit of trying to kill each other is hard. He remembers Roan’s younger brothers, almost dying because their grandfather had tried to poison them. King Theo actually being poisoned by his son-in-law in retaliation. There’s too much poison involved in the royal line in Azgeda. 

When Roan actually returns to Polis, Hieri lets out a sigh of relief falling into step beside him, dropping an arm onto his shoulder. The ambassadors under Queen Nia’s employ have been eyeing him with displeasure since they had realized he was lurking and waiting for Roan to return. And especially when Hieri falls into step behind Roan once he returns with Wanheda. Whispers already start to travel between his people—whispers of a negative nature that he and Roan have been hearing for the last six or so years—but Roan holds his head high and embraces Hieri, so he doesn’t care.

 

* * *

 

Queen Nia resents him. Hieri sighs as he leans back against the wall. She’s hated him for destroying her eldest son’s chance at an heir. Hieri’s entirely sure she hates him for more than that too. She certainly makes her displeasure known even when she’s brought in by Lexa’s sentries to a meeting with all the Ambassadors. Hieri is leaning back against the wall, signing to Roan from the other side of the room.

And then Queen Nia nominates Roan to fight for her against Heda and he feels his heart skip a beat, and then another and then it begins to pound all too quickly in his chest. Roan could very well beat Heda, he’s calculative and fast, just as he could very well lose. Hieri falls into step next to Roan when Queen Nia turns away, already seeming to have forgotten her son in the room. 

Hieri is quick to wrap a hand around Roan’s wrist, tugging a slightly hesitant Roan up into his room. He leans in to kiss Roan, before Roan can say anything. It’s currently a distraction. Roan is tense beneath his fingers, muscles wound and ready for a fight. Seeing his mother is difficult, it is for the both of them.

Roan takes a few moments to respond to the kiss, and then he’s grasping onto Hieri, gripping onto his hips and spinning him around to pin him towards the wall. “Hieri.” Roan snarls against his lips. Roan’s hands are rough with him as he pulls at his belt. When fumbling with his belt buckle takes too long, Roan pulls out his dagger to cut away the leather. 

Hieri barely stops him, with a hand and a glare. “Beja Hieri.” He can’t help but melt under Roan’s tone and gaze. He doesn’t relent however, until he pulls his belt free from his trousers and shucking them off. Roan falls into step in front of him, stripping his clothes off haphazardly. Roan grabs onto his hips and pulls them towards the bed.

They fall into bed together, Roan’s lips finding his pulsepoint and dragging his teeth over it, making Hieri gasp. Roan mouths at him like he’s starving, fumbling with eager hands and rutting into him. They’re both desperate to feel each other, Hieri fumbling around above his head for the bedside table, yanking open the dresser to fumble around for oil. 

He finally finds the vial, pulling the cork out and handing it over to Roan. Roan drizzles the oil over his hard cock, before he lines himself up and meets Hieri’s eyes. The way Roan’s eyes flutter shut is the only warning he gets before Roan pushes into him. He’s not unused to the stretch and burn, even with minimal prep he enjoys it. 

Roan sinks into a heavy and fast pace instantly, nails scratching into Hieri’s skin. Hieri clutches onto him, teeth finding a home into Roan’s shoulder. Roan takes out his aggressions onto him through his thrusts, gentleness in his hands as he cups Hieri’s cheeks and caresses his bottom lip with his thumb.

Heiri can only hold onto Roan with a tight grip and gasps and moans, white hot pleasure burning behind his eyes. Roan pants into his ear, gasps in Trigedasleng and English, butchering both languages together until his voice falls into a low rasp, accompanied by Hieri’s moans.

“Roan. Hod in. I love you so much.” Hieri gasps in return as Roan focuses his attention on his neglected cock. He’s hard and leaking and Roan wraps a tight hand around him and begins pumping. Hieri thrusts upwards into Roan’s tight fist, moaning and gasping and whining. Roan practically mauls at his throat, leaving dark marks littered on his skin like a constellation.

They find their release at the same time. Roan spilling inside him with a litany of harsh grunts and Hieri’s long, high pitched whine filling the air as he arches his back under Roan’s frame as he spills over Roan’s hand. Roan falls onto him, panting and curling himself around Hieri protectively.

“You’d think after six years, she’d let it go.” Roan grunts against Hieri’s cheek. Hieri runs a finger down the line of Roan’s jaw and closes his eyes, his chest moving against Roan’s.

“Six more will pass and she’ll still hate me for turning her eldest son into a sodomite.” Hieri can feel Roan frown against him and the Roan is pushing himself up by his elbows and propping himself up to look down at him.

“Nou biyo dei de!” Roan says harshly, reaching up to squeeze his fingers into Hieri’s chin. “You didn’t make me anything. This is normal.” Roan takes a deep breath and blows the air out through his nose.

“I know. Fiya Roan,” He leans up to kiss Roan. Roan sighs down at him but drops himself down onto Hieri’s chest, kissing the side of Hieri’s throat when he grunts. 

“I love being with you. You know that.” Roan whispers against him, dragging a finger down the length of his sternum. 

“I do.” Hieri presses his cheek against Roan’s. “I really do and I feel the same. She just. Makes me feel so.”

“Out of control.” Roan finishes for him. They’ve had this conversation so many times over the past six years, even before Roan’s banishment. In a few hours Roan is going to have to fight for his mother, and she barely even acknowledges him, it makes his skin crawl. Roan seems to notice, because he’s leaning in to kiss the tip of his nose gently.

“There’s no way she’d pick me to fight for you?” Hieri stretches out underneath Roan. He’s had special training, he’d stand a good chance against Lexa in a trial by combat, just as well as Roan would.

“If I kill Lexa, it’ll be my re-entry into the clan.” Roan looks at him. He’s seen the look on Roan’s face.

“I love you, you idiot.” He flips them over so he can lay on top of Roan’s chest, kissing his lips, taking the time to trace the seam of Roan’s lips. “You can’t die today.” He whispers against Roan’s lips.

“Hmm. With you cheering for me. I’ll never lose.” Hieri can’t help the blush that spreads across his cheeks and Roan leans up to kiss the scar on his cheek, the one that curves down to his chin. It’s so similar to the scars that Roan has on his own face.

“Flatterer.” Hieri pokes his tongue out and Roan nips it lightning quick. With a small yelp he leans down and hides his face against Roan’s chest. Roan chuckles, the vibrations in his chest meet his cheek.

“You’ll let me help you prepare?” He murmurs against Roan’s chest.

“Where would I be if I didn’t let you do that.” It warms his chest that Roan trusts him so much with this, to make sure his swords are prepare, to ensure that his armour is on properly. It’s a level of trust that just resonates between them both.

“Hmm.” He agrees with a hum, tracing words onto Roan’s chest. They don’t have long. They’ll start preparations an hour before the trial, and then he’ll be sidelined on the outskirts of the ring to watch Roan either die or kill Lexa. 

Roan seems content with the both of them just laying in bed, tracing designs and patterns onto each others skin, following the lines of scars and tattoos, remapping what they know of each other until Roan reluctantly rolls out of bed.

As they walk down the corridor to meet with Roan’s mother, Roan holds onto his hand firmly, not letting Hieri tug it out of his grip. Queen Nia scowls when she sees him and Hieri returns the expression his eyebrow cocked upwards as a challenge.

“It’s only that my son is so fond of you that I haven’t executed you yet.” Roan shifts at the threat, moving to stand slightly in front of Hieri.

“Say that again mother, and you will regret it.” The look Queen Nia gives him is dark and he scoffs in return, tilting his head to show off the marks Roan left on him. Roan notices and disguises a laugh with a cough. It’s one thing to just, exist as the object of Roan’s affections, but he can’t help the gleeful feeling that floods his chest when he actively shows off that he is Roan’s and Roan is his, and the looks that come in return to the declaration.

“My son-” Hieri shivers when she says the words. He can’t feel a single ounce of love from her voice and it sends an unpleasant shiver down his spine. Roan squeezes his hand reassuringly and smiles obediently, nodding along to whatever she’s saying. By the time she actually leaves them alone to prepare Roan, Hieri is entirely stuck in his own thoughts, having tuned out her voice.

“-ieri? Hieri are you listening to me?” Roan’s voice shakes him out of his head and then Roan holds out his armour towards him. “Do the honours?” He meets Hieri’s eyes.

It’s intimate, strapping on Roan’s armour before slipping his jacket over it. His fingers work methodically against the metal and leather. He moves from the chest piece to the bracers that he insists Roan wears, tracing the line of veins at the joint of Roan’s wrist before fastening the bracers.

“You’ll be right next to the ring, won’t you.” Roan says it nonchalantly, like he already knows that Hieri is going to get as close as he can to watch both Roan’s movements and Lexa’s. 

“Uh huh. You know me so well.” He tightens the last strap of Roan’s right bracer and moves to his left. “Did you expect me to stand next to your mother?” He jokes. “Of course. I’ll be closest to where you are Roan.” 

A set of guards approach them, standing silent as they stop in the doorway. Hieri reaches out for Roan’s hand as he walks, and squeezes it once more before they are both escorted down the tower and out towards the courtyard where he can see people gathering.

They only have a few more moments with each other, before Roan nods towards the guards that come over to Hieri. He’s to join the sidelines of the ring with the other war chiefs and ambassadors. Roan sends a nod his way when he looks over questioningly, checking if Roan is okay to prepare on his own.

Roan smirks at him sweetly, blue eyes burning bright. Heiri nods and moves with the guards, finally falling into place next to the other Azgeda war chiefs. The others watch him, scrutinizing the bruises along his throat. It’s hard for them to accept that he has Roan’s affections, but he returns their looks with a smirk. They haven’t done anything to earn them from Roan.

 Roan is standing next to Lexa, mouth set in a thin grim line in the ring, looking up at Titus and Queen Nia. Ontari is by Queen Nia’s side, looking smug. Queen Nia seems to be staring at Roan with an expression of both disappointment and eagerness. Probably eager for Roan to win, for them to dispose of Lexa and pave the way for Ontari to be Heda.

Hieri leans forward to look around the crowd as Titus begins the usual spiel about single combat. Wanheda is standing with most of Skaikru, opposite the group of people he’s standing with. It’s a fight to the death, not a wedding ceremony. Hieri huffs. Roan will pick either his mother's sword or a different and shield out of spite. Sure enough, when Titus asks them to choose their weapons, Roan unsheathes his mother’s blade with some flourish, a calculative expression on his face.

Heiri's brow creases as he presses forward from the cheering crowd until Roan catches his eye with a smirk and twists his sword like he’s showing off. He lingers just slightly out of line as the cheering quietens for the fight to begin. Roan steps forward, and then Lexa makes the first move, and it becomes a dance of parrying each others blows.

“Kom op ona Roan!” He shouts over the crowd’s yelling. Roan is doing well, knocking Lexa off of her feet. “You can do this!” When Roan is knocked to the ground, he has to stop himself from scrambling over from the crowd of people on the outskirts of the ring to jump to his aid. Lexa pins him to the ground with the spear, pointing the tip right under Roan’s chin. 

Hieri breathes heavily when he catches Queen Nia yelling at Roan and he cups his hands around his mouth once more to yell encouragement towards Roan. Lexa pulls the spear back to strike, and before he knows it, the spear is flying towards Queen Nia instead of spilling Roan’s blood in the courtyard.

“The Queen is dead! Long live the king!” Lexa crows.

“Roan.” Hieri gasps and finally hops and practically sprints over from the War Chiefs to Roan. Lexa steps away from Roan and Hieri takes her place, dropping to his knees next to him.

“Hieri.” Roan smiles up at him and reaches out for his hand. Hieri grips his hand and pulls him up to a sitting position before hugging him tight. 

“Don’t ever almost die on me again.” Hieri mutters into his ear before pulling away and helping them both up to their feet. Roan wipes at the blood from his nose, holding onto him as they stand.

Hieri can feel Roan’s tense next to him. The crowd has mostly dispersed but some of the ambassadors and the Azgeda War Chiefs have their eyes trained onto Roan. Hieri lets Roan lead them away, his head held high, shooting a glare back over towards their people.

They head back up towards the tower with Roan’s insistence. His nose has stopped bleeding. “Did you know that Lexa was going to do that?” Hieri asks once they make it back to their room. Roan doesn’t meet his eyes and closes the door behind him. Hieri fiddles with something in a dresser, before he sits back down onto the bed and stares at Roan’s back.

“It had to be done.” Roan strips out of his armour and shirt and sets them aside, still facing the wall and not Hieri. “For all of us.” 

Hieri stands and steps up to Roan and wraps his arms around Roan’s from behind. Roan tenses under his grip for a second, before relaxing, leaning back against his chest.  “Hod in.” Roan whispers. Hieri presses a kiss to his shoulder. 

“You’re king now.” Hieri murmurs. “It’s what we wanted.” He skims his fingers over Roan’s chest. “Isn’t it?” 

“Yes. I’m king.” Roan takes a deep breath and lets the air whistle out through his teeth. “There is still Ontari to contend with, but after that, we’ll be safe.” Roan turns to face Hieri, reaching out to cup his chin. 

“We have time Roan.” They’ve had time all this while. Hieri sighs fondly and pulls Roan close. “We have time. So let us just relax, and let us spend the night celebrating.” Hieri wiggles his eyebrows over at the glass bottle sitting on their bedside table. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Roan strides over to it and picks up the bottle, swirling it around in front of his face before uncorking it and breathing in. “Pomegranate wine!” Roan turns around, excitement gracing his smile. “You…”

“Like you’d ever die in such a way.” Hieri scoffs. “I had someone bring it up last night, but kept it hidden in the dresser.” He wraps his arms back around Roan’s waist. “Now let’s celebrate.” 

Roan seems to agree with him, because he takes a generous drink of the wine straight from the bottle, wiping the trickle that slides down his chin away with the back of his hand. They take turns, handing the bottle back and forth between them, sadly, it’s only one bottle. They’re slightly buzzed, falling against each other with wandering hands and gentle kisses. 

Roan skin is warm to the touch, as he slots himself against Hieri while they’re in bed. Roan is tired, his back is bruised, the shallow cut across it doesn’t require too much attention, and his nose is slightly crooked from the hit he took from Lexa. Hieri tends to him with gentle hands, both their legs intertwined. 

Roan’s breath smells mostly of the pomegranate wine as he rambles tiredly, body melting under Hieri’s deft fingers. Hieri smiles fondly down at him, kisses his forehead and his cheeks and massages the tension and knots from Roan’s lower back. It’s their routine, Roan fights, or stresses or gets into trouble and gets himself out of it, then Hieri takes care of him after every one of them, massaging knots from Roan’s shoulders and back.

He soothes his hands down the scars that litter Roan’s back. Lashings, knife wounds, burns from where stab wounds have been cauterized, underneath all of those, decorative markings that Roan had to show his devotion to Azgeda. Once Hieri is done pressing his fingers firmly into Roan’s back, he shifts over to fall into bed with Roan, blinking slowly before Roan murmurs drowsily.

“I’m glad that you’re here.” Roan leans over to pillow his head onto Hieri’s chest, the messy tangle of his hair falling across his face and onto Hieri’s chest. Hieri hums and scratches his fingers against Roan’s scalp, fingers slipping his hair to start undoing the knots.

The next few days they stay in Polis is only for political assurances. Roan reinforces Hieri’s position as War Chief, it’s hard really, to fall back into a position when you deliberately live in isolation for three years to help the banished Prince. The other War Chiefs scrutinize him, since he usually turns up to the meetings dishevelled, striding in behind Roan who looks smug. But political ventures aside, things go smoothly, mostly.

* * *

 

Home.

Hieri misses Azgeda. He misses the hot springs under the mountain. He misses going with Roan, running away from meetings and lessons that he and Roan would skip. Polis is nothing like Azgeda. For one, there’s no snow, no ice everywhere, and sometimes the harshness of Azgeda’s cold weather is welcome. Secondly their people are strong, quiet, harsh, but there is familiarity that Polis simply doesn't have. 

So when Roan comes into their shared room with a promise that they’re returning to Azgeda, Hieri throws his arms around him and laughs.

“The hot springs.” He says into Roan’s ear. Roan laughs against his cheek. Roan slings his arms around his shoulders and holds him tight.

“We’re going home.” Roan says into his hair. Roan’s lips find his cheek. Hieri smiles. He can already feel the cold on his skin. The longing of comfort from the hot springs beneath the castle and the beauty that is found in the harshness of their lands. 

Roan is king. 

They’re safe. 

**Author's Note:**

> Trigedasleng Translations. (in order of appearance):
> 
> Yu laik a Natblida. - You’re a Nightblood.  
> Beja - Please  
> Beja ai hainofa. - Please my prince.  
> Wormana - War Chief.  
> Ai laik fiya - I’m sorry.  
> Ai laik trana - I’m trying.  
> Ai swear em - I swear it   
> Nomfa kom - son of  
> Ai haiplana - my queen,  
> Hainofa - prince  
> Wormana - war chief


End file.
